Lesson Learned
by Sakigirl123
Summary: Rin and Sesshomaru are happily married with a three month old son. Rin is content with the way life is, but Sesshomaru insists on having many children as soon as possible. Rin argues that her body can't handle that, but to no avail. With Kaede's and a nearby village goddess's help, Rin will teach Sesshomaru what it's like to bear his hanyou children.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! So this is my new story centered around Rin and Sesshomaru. I've had this idea eating at me for quite a while now and I finally gave in and started it. For those of you that have read "Ranma's Baby", don't worry! I'm still working on the sequel to that. But I also just can't get my mind off of this one. I hope you all enjoy! **

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA

The moon shone through passing clouds on a cold January night. Occasional soft breezes would shake the dormant trees outside. There was a dusting of snow on the ground form the last snowfall, there was sure to be more coming soon.

A most peculiar couple were cuddled up on their futon in a castle in the Western Lands on that frigid night. One, a most formidable demon, Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands, the other, his beauty of a wife, Rin. Years ago it would have been ludicrous for someone to suggest that the great inu youkai, known for his immense hatred for humans, would mate with the ningen girl.

Within the castle, the whimper of a child echoed, soon crescendoing into an infant's full-out cry for attention. The loud wail traveled through the thin walls until it reached the room where the unforeseen couple lay.

The demon lord was the first to wake up, having the hearing of an inu youkai. He lay still, knowing his wife was going to wake up at any moment. Why should he get up to calm the child? It was the mother's duty after all.

Just as he predicted, Rin groaned and opened her eyes. Her hair was disheveled and there were bags under her eyes despite having just been resting.

She got up out of the futon without a word to her husband and padded down the hallway to where the baby slept. After picking up the infant out of his crib, she quietly soothed him, bouncing him and whispering sweet words in his ears. As she tried to calm her upset son she padded back down to her own bedroom where her husband was sitting up waiting for her to return back to bed.

Sesshomaru was surprised to see his wife bring back their son. "Why did you bring him here?"

His wife looked up at him from her gaze at their black-haired son who still hadn't ceased his crying. "I can't seem to calm him down. I think he wants his daddy," she smiled.

The demon lord's expression didn't change nor did he move to take his son out of his wife's arms.

Rin sighed and sat down in her place on the futon. "Sesshomaru, he wants you. Why are you so cold towards our son?"

Sesshomaru didn't say anything, but he relented and took the crying infant out of her arms. Still, his expression was unchanging as the black-haired baby that looked just like his father calmed down in his presence.

Rin analyzed the powerful demon holding the fruit of their love. To anyone else it would have seemed awkward for the lord of the western lands to be holding an infant of any kind. She knew better. Sesshomaru was able to love, she was his wife wasn't she? And they did create their son out of love, even as unplanned as he was. Still, the inu youkai kept a cold mask on which deceived everyone but her. In reality, she knew he was afraid. Of what, well that was a mystery. She didn't dare bring it up.

The wailing eventually ceased and was replaced with cute gurgling sounds of content. Sesshomaru's eyes softened almost unnoticeably as his son quieted and began falling asleep in his arms.

Rin smiled. "See? Kyou just wanted to be held by Daddy," she cooed.

Sesshomaru followed Rin's lead as she laid back on the futon. He still had Kyou and laid him on his chest with one hand softly resting on the curled infant's back possessively while Rin cuddled into his side and hugged his waist. The three fell into peaceful sleep, undisturbed for the rest of the night.

* * *

**Rin's POV**

Flying on Ah-Un was always something I enjoyed as a child, and still did today. Whenever Sesshomaru and I traveled somewhere, I would fly on him while my husband ran on the ground. Sometimes he would join me for fun but it was rare.

Right now was one of those times when he was on the ground and I was in the air. In my arms I was also holding my baby Kyou. The wind was whipping my hair back and whistling in my ears but I could still faintly hear his grumbles of complaint.

"-absolutely no reason to go visit that disgusting brother of mine. A waste of time….." blah, blah, blah.

Earlier this morning, Sango's twin-tailed cat Kirara and the little Kitsune Shippou came telling us that Kagome was having her and Inuyasha's first baby. Kagome has been a dear friend to me and I wanted to be there for her in this special time. I also knew that Inuyasha would be panicking nonstop the whole time and someone had to be there to help him out. Kami knows the monk Miroku would just tease him endlessly.

Sesshomaru's grumblings stopped once the tiny village where they all resided came into sight. Ah-Un started descending towards the small, familiar home that now belonged to Kagome and Inuyasha. My husband was already there waiting for me as the two-headed dragon youkai's feet hit the ground. Seeing how anxious I was, he quickly took Kyou from me so I could hop off and go to see Kagome.

Inuyasha and Miroku were pacing outside of the hut. Well, Inuyasha was pacing, Miroku was more standing there with his arms crossed and his eyebrows knit together. They only glanced up at me as I entered the hut and then returned to their thoughts.

Inside the hut, Kagome was laying down on a futon in the middle of the floor. She was glistening with sweat and seemed to have just recovered from a contraction. Sango was wetting a cold cloth to put on the girl's forehead. Kaede was at the other side of the hut preparing clean cloths.

"Hey, Kagome," I greeted her.

She lifted her head and smiled weakly. "Hi, Rin. I'm so glad you came!"

I returned her smile and sat down next to Sango at the pregnant girl's side. "I wouldn't miss it for the world, Kagome. How are you feeling?"

Kagome sighed and rested her head back. "Tired. It's only been a few hours and I'm already running out of strength."

"Well then you should get some sleep. You're going to need a lot of strength when the baby is ready to come out," I suggested while patting her arm.

She gave me another weak smile and closed her eyes, falling asleep quickly. Sango, Kaede, and I all decided to go get some fresh air and let her sleep.

When exiting the hut, Inuyasha immediately rushed up to us. "Is she okay? What's going on? Can I see her?"

Sango chuckled at the hanyou's anxiety. "She's doing well. Right now she is sleeping. You can go see her but don't wake her up. She is going to need to be well-rested when the baby comes."

Inuyasha rushed into the hut and swiftly sat down next to his wife and unborn child.

Meanwhile everyone began gathering around Sesshomaru who was holding Kyou. The baby laughed as both Sango and Miroku started playing with him. He giggled adorably when Miroku tickled him and everyone laughed with him, saving Sesshomaru of course. He remained with the same stony face he always had. That is, except for the tiny sparkle in his eye he got whenever he saw our son.

Suddenly there was a loud scream coming from inside the cabin. Everyone stopped and became silent until we heard another one and then, "Kagome?!"

Sango, Kaede, and I all rushed into the cabin. Kagome was lying on the floor where we left her except now she was fully awake and gripping Inuyasha's hand in pain.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" Sango asked.

"I… The baby…. Is coming…. NOW," she screamed.

Kaede lifted the sheet covering Kagome's legs and examined her. "Indeed. I can already see it crowning! Ye need to push!"

Sango and I began preparing the bath for the baby to be washed and the blankets.

Ten minutes later, the baby was born. Inuyasha sliced the umbilical chord with his claw and I quickly took it to be cleaned.

"Ye have a newborn girl," Kaede informed the new parents with a great smile.

Both Inuyasha and Kagome had tears in their eyes. They were grinning from ear to ear despite all the pain and anticipation they just endured.

"You hear that, Kagome? We have a girl!"

Kagome laid back exhaustedly but still smiling. "I know…"

"And here she is now…" I said while I carried the crying infant to her awaiting parents.

I gently placed her in Kagome's waiting arms and they both looked down at her with the eyes of utter adoration.

Sango, Kaede, and I all cleaned up and then left the hut to give the new parents some privacy.

I walked over to my husband who was leaning back against a tree with Kyou sleeping on his shoulder. It was getting dark already and the last rays of sunlight cast shadows through the trees.

Sesshomaru glanced down at me as I stroked our son's black hair. "They had a girl," I informed him quietly while taking Kyou out of his arms and cradling him against my chest.

The inu youkai scoffed. "Figures that good-for-nothing little brother of mine couldn't even produce a male heir."

I looked up at him disapprovingly. "Sesshomaru! There is nothing wrong with having a girl! You should be happy for them! After all, I'm a girl too, you know," I huffed, turning around.

Strong arms slid around my waist. "And a beautiful one at that," he murmured, pressing his body against the back of mine. His lips pressed against the side of my neck softly.

Just as I was about to turn around to kiss my husband, someone ran up to us, calling our names.

"Sesshomaru! Rin!" Sango came running up to us, trying to catch her breath.

"Yes?" I replied as I felt Sesshomaru release me and take a step back.

"I've been looking for you. It's late already and you are both far away from home. Why don't you stay in the guest house?" she suggested with a smile.

Before Sesshomaru could protest- which I knew he would- I smiled in return. "Thank you so much, we really appreciate it!"

We followed her back to the village and into a small house similar to the one Inuyasha and Kagome had. Everything was clean and there were already futons set up on the floor for us. There was even a pair of robes for us to wear to sleep in.

"Thank you, Sango," I said as we stepped into the building.

"You're very welcome, Rin, Sesshomaru. Goodnight." With that, she left to go to her own home with her husband and daughters.

I quickly changed into the robe. Sesshomaru just looked at his and scowled. He simply stripped down to his pants and slid into the two-person futon with me.

He placed his arm around my shoulder and I scoot over so I could rest my head on his strong chest. Kyou was still sleeping in my arms and Sesshomaru wrapped his around the both of us, resting one of his hands on Kyou's back.

Just as I was drifting into sleep, I heard him speak. "We should have another baby."

Hearing this, my eyes snapped open. "What?"

"I think we should have another baby."

I turned my head to look up at him. "Now?"

"Yes, now."

I groaned. "Sesshomaru, I just gave birth to Kyou three months ago. Can't I have a break?"

Sesshomaru lifted his eyebrows. "You did. It's been three months. It's time."

I sat up and my husband followed suit. "Sesshomaru, how many children do you expect us to have?"

He thought for a moment. "I'd say about twelve to fifteen."

"Twelve to fifteen?! Are you crazy?!"

Sesshomaru looked at me slightly shocked, but then recovered quickly. "No, I am not crazy for wanting twelve to fifteen children. Really, it's not as many as I should want. We inu youkai tend to have up to thirty pups."

My stomach started to churn while thinking about giving birth to thirty babies. He really is crazy!

"Sesshomaru, I can't do that! Do you know how hard it is to carry children?"

My husband obviously appeared bored with the conversation because he laid back down and rolled down on his side. "A woman's job is to carry children," he stated bluntly.

"That doesn't make it any less painful! Is that all I am to you?! A _baby maker_?!"

Kyou started crying due to my shouting and Sesshomaru didn't respond, just lay on the futon with his back to me.

I became even more enraged from the fact that he made me so angry I went and woke up our sleeping son. I stood up with him in my arms, bouncing to try and calm him down.

"I'm going for a walk," I said, walking out of the guest house not even waiting for a reply.

A/N: So what do you guys think? I'm starting to really get into this story. I hope you guys are ready for what will be coming next!

Please review! It's the best way to get me to update, if that's what you so wish for!


	2. Chapter 2

I ended up wandering around the rest of the village. The night was cold and there was still snow on the ground. I made sure to wrap Kyou tightly in his blanket to keep him from becoming too cold. After about fifteen minutes I finally got my son to quiet down and fall back asleep. I myself was tired, but still wasn't ready to go back into the guest house.

Thinking back to the argument I had with Sesshomaru, I became even more enraged. Is that really all he thought of me as? Someone to carry his babies? If that was all he needed me for, then why choose a human? His whole life he hated hanyou, especially his younger brother. He could have just found himself a beautiful dog demoness to carry all the children he wanted.

I shook my head at myself. I knew that that wasn't what he really thought of me as, but what he said was still incredibly insensitive. Don't get me wrong, I wanted more children, but I don't think I could handle that many. He needed to realize that I was still human and that our bodies are different from those of demons.

Sighing, I sat down on a large stone on the outskirts of the village. In his sleep, Kyou snuggled up against my chest and I smiled down at him, stroking the soft black hair on his head.

"You're both going to catch a cold out here," a voice said from behind me.

Recognizing the voice as none other than my husband, I refused to turn around and greet him. I didn't feel like seeing him right now after the ridiculous argument we had.

I felt him lay his heavy kimono over my shoulders and wrapped it around Kyou and me. The fabric was soft and warm and I silently reveled in the relief from the cold.

"Come back to the house," he commanded in that cold, monotone voice of his.

I stood up, letting the kimono drop from my shoulders. Kyou shivered a little in his sleep and I held him closer to my chest. "I do not wish to have you in my presence at the moment," I told my husband stonily. Even without turning around to see his face, I knew shock flashed in his amber eyes if only for a moment. This secretly pleased me.

"This Sesshomaru refuses to let you stay out here all night with my son. You will go back to the guest house right now," his voice was so low and strong, I could feel it resonate within me.

He was right and I knew it. Keeping Kyou outside in the freezing air. I was being selfish. I was risking my baby getting sick because I had gotten in a petty argument with his father.

"Fine, I will go back for Kyou's sake. You need to find somewhere else go to."

With these parting words I made my way back to our cozy housing. The fire was still burning lowly, just enough to keep the two of us warm. The bedding was still crumpled from our sudden leave. I straightened them out and Kyou and I nestled into the soft material.

He deserved it, I thought to myself as the wind whistled through the crack in the wall. Most would think that making him sleep outside was harsh, especially in this weather, but I knew he could handle himself fine. Sesshomaru was the Lord of the Western Lands after all, sleeping outside on a cold wintery night was nothing to him. It was more about keeping him away from Kyou and me. Even though he would never admit it, I knew it hurt him just a little to be pushed away from us. Somehow I enjoyed that little pain of his. It reminded me that he does actually have feelings and isn't just the stone-cold inu youkai he was known to be. Although I will admit that his pain also causes me pain most of the time. I guess that's what it meant to be in love.

Just as I was about to drift into sleep, there was a distinct thump of something landing on the roof above us. With it came a strong, possessive aura in which I knew all too well.

"Goodnight Sesshomaru," I murmured as I fell into sweet, blissful unconsciousness.

The next morning I went to Kagome's hut to check on her and the baby. It seems Sango and Kaede had the same idea because they were already there.

"Ohayou!" I greeted, slipping my shoes off and then sitting next to Sango who was preparing breakfast for everyone.

"Ohayou, Rin, Kyou," Kagome greeted my son and me. She was on the other side of the room, sitting in Inuyasha's lap with their new daughter in her arms. Inuyasha was looking down at his daughter and smiling down at her softly from over his wife's shoulder. His gaze was soft and loving, already he was wrapped around the little girl's finger. Sometimes I wished Sesshomaru was just a little bit more like his younger half-brother.

Setting Kyou over my shoulder, I smiled at the loving couple. "So have you two thought of a name yet?"

They both smiled at each other and then look back at me. "Yes," Kagome replied. "We decided to name her after Inuyasha's mother, Izayoi. She was born on the sixteenth of the lunar month, it must be fate."

I grinned at the two of them. "How beautiful."

Sango started handing out bowls. "Breakfast is ready."

"Arigatou, Sango." I took the bowl into my hands. It smelled so good!

After we all finished, Inuyasha decided to go out for some fresh air, leaving us girls to ourselves. Not long after, Kaede joined us as well. We all greeted her good morning.

Kyou began to whimper and I knew it was time for his breakfast as well. I gently pulled my kimono open just enough to let out one of my breasts. As soon as I brought him close enough, Kyou latched on and began suckling greedily. I winced as he did though. His fangs were already starting to come in and I could feel them puncturing my sensitive skin.

The room was quiet until I spoke up. "Sesshomaru and I had an argument last night."

Kagome scoffed lightly. "That doesn't surprise me. He's such an ice-cube with his cold demeanor."

I glared playfully at her. The other girls always teased me for marrying the emotionless, human-hating, cold hearted Lord of the Western Lands. I could see where they would get that impression , but they didn't know the real Sesshomaru.

"Oh, you're so funny," I replied sarcastically. Kyou finished his meal and yawned. I covered myself and positioned the now full infant on to my shoulder to burp him. "He wants more babies. I would be fine with that, except he wants them now."

Sango rolled her eyes. "How many does he want you to have?"

I sighed. "He expects me to bear 12-15 of his children. That's a total of like eleven years of pregnancy!"

Kaede spoke up at this. "Ye need to put him in his place. Bearing half-youkai babes is difficult."

I laughed darkly. "If only I could make him realize how difficult it is to bear his pups. If only there was a way to force him to understand how painful it is."

The old woman slowly smirked. "Indeed, there might be a way…."

Kagome raised her eyebrows, "What are you getting at Lady Kaede?"

"Aye, indeed there is a way for the Lord of the Western Lands to understand the struggles of child bearing. That is, ye must let him experience it himself."

"Experience it himself?!" Kagome, Sango, and I exclaimed.

"Aye, child. If he must have another babe, he must have it himself."

"How is that even possible?" I questioned her.

The village priestess smirked wider and crossed her arms in her large sleeves, much like InuYasha often did.

"Aye, long ago while my elder sister Kikyou was still the priestess in this village, she was called to a neighboring village, not far from here. As a priestess in training, I followed her. As we arrived, we noticed a large mob of angry villagers surrounding an old, run-down hut. Assuming this was what she was called for, we hurriedly pushed through the crowd and made our way to the door. My sister gently rapped on the door.

"_Please open up. It is I, Priestess Kikyou, who you requested upon from the neighboring village." _

_The door slid open the slightest bit, just enough to let a young woman peek out her head. Once the woman examined the priestess and her sister, she nodded and allowed them entrance, quickly shutting the door against the angry mob when they were fully inside the room. _

_The small child gasped in shock and Kikyou's brown eyes widened. Though there were no specifics of why they were called to this village, what they witnessed was the last thing they expected. _

_Sitting on a futon with his back against the wall was a man. His face was scrunched up in pain as beads of sweat rolled down his face. _

_The man's arms were wrapped around his belly. His belly that was large and perfectly round. He looked fit to burst. _

_The woman hurried over to the man and wrapped her arms around him. _

"_Priestess Kikyou, this is my husband, Akito. I know this sounds absurd, but he's pregnant. He's been having pains for the last few days…" _

_Kikyou knelt down next to the woman and her husband. "Pregnant, you say?" _

_The woman nodded. "Yes. We have been trying for a baby for years, but to no avail. I was so upset that he eventually went to the goddess of our village, who is known for blessing us with prosperity. She said I was unfit to carry a baby, but that she would bless us with a child on one condition. Her condition was that Akito himself carried our child and gave birth to it." _

_Akito raised his hand to stroke his wife's cheek. "I knew how much Makoto wanted a baby, as did I. I told the goddess I would do anything to make her happy and she blessed us with a child." With those last words, he gently rubbed the underside of his tummy affectionately. _

_The priestess quickly regained her composure and gestured to Akito. "Do you mind if I take a look?" _

_The couple shook their heads. Kikyou gently removed Akito's haori and lowered his hakama to below his stomach. She gently wiped the taut skin with a cold, wet rag prepared and given by Kaede. _

_After gently probing his tummy with her gentle hands, she leaned down and pressed her ear right against his bellybutton. Listening for a moment, she nodded and then sat up. _

"_Luckily, you are not in labor. It is too early for that. Right now you are experiencing false labor pains. You'll notice that the pains are mostly in the front." She pressed her hand on the front of his tummy. "If you shift positions and relax for a while, they should go away soon. I am surprised that it has lasted this long. Normally false pains only last up to a few hours. Then again, this doesn't exactly qualify as a normal pregnancy." _

_Despite his pain, Akito chuckled at the last comment. "No, I suppose it doesn't." _

"_Kaede, please go to the local healer and retrieve a bottle of lavender oil," Kikyou requested of her younger sister, handing her a few coins. _

_The girl bowed and ran out of the back door of the hut so to avoid the mob outside. _

_Kikyou helped Makoto help Akito into a more comfortable position. "So would you mind explaining all of the angry villagers outside?" _

_The couple looked at each other and then back at the priestess. "We have been keeping the baby a secret for a while now," Makoto began, cupping the underside of her husband's rounding belly and rubbing softly. "Unfortunately some of the villagers found out recently. They are convinced our baby is a demonic parasite. The villagers had noticed the slow growth of his stomach but ignored it at first. Eventually they became suspicious and began asking questions and whispering amongst each other. The other day someone spoke up and claimed that a demon had taken possession of Akito's body. He said that the demon was eating my husband's insides, gradually growing until his belly can't stretch any more, and then bursting out, killing him. Now all of the villagers are alarmed and saying they should kill the 'demon' residing inside my husband before it finds another host." Akito was now lying in his wife's lap. He reached up and wiped a tear that had escaped as she retold the story. _

"_I see…" _

"_Sister Kikyou, I've come back with the lavender oil," Kaede announced as she entered the hut. _

"_Very good, Kaede. I appreciate the help." _

_Kaede beamed with pride at being praised by her older sister. The priestess-in-training thought very highly of her sister- just like everyone else- and continually did her best to gain her approval. _

_After a brief moment, Kaede returned back to the matter at hand. She eyed the man and his wife warily. She couldn't seem to get past the fact that there was a very pregnant man lying there right in front of her. It defied everything she had been taught about bringing life into the world, and that didn't sit well with her. _

_Kikyou applied the oil to Akito's swollen belly, massaging it in gently. It seemed to be working because he sighed and relaxed into his wife's lap. Eventually Akito fell asleep. Kikyou continued to rub the oil into his taut belly, making sure all of his muscles were relaxed. _

_Makoto sighed in relief at her sleeping husband. "He hasn't been able to sleep in days, he's been so uncomfortable. What is that stuff?" _

_Kikyou smiled. "It's lavender oil. It helps relax the muscles and soothes the skin. The scent relieves stress and anxiety. I often give it to pregnant women in my village for them or their husbands to massage the belly with." _

_She moved her hands from his sides and gently began rubbing the front and underside of his belly. There were some soft rolling movements from within until the baby seemed to find a comfortable position and fell asleep. _

"_The baby also seems to be enjoying this, it just fell asleep," Kikyou smiled. She continued to massage Akito's swollen belly until she felt all of his muscles relax. _

_Kaede offered a bowl of water for her to rinse her hands with that the priestess took gratefully. _

_It was about an hour until Akito woke up again. Makoto was stroking his hair as he opened his eyes. He looked up at her and smiled, receiving a smile in return. With his wife's help, Akito sat up more but remained propped up against her. _

_Kikyou walked over the the expecting couple. "Akito, how are you feeling?" _

_Akito smiled and rubbed the underside of his belly. "Wonderful. I haven't felt this relaxed in a long time. The baby also seems to be very comfortable." _

"_I'm glad to hear that. Now, I think I've come up with something that will help the villagers change their minds about your baby," Kikyou announced. _

_Both Makoto and Akito looked surprised. "What do you have in mind?" Makoto asked. She slid her hands down to Akito's belly and cupped the gravid mound. She rubbed circles with her fingers nervously. Akito placed his hands over hers in reassurance. _

"_Well, I believe the only way anyone will believe that you really are carrying a child is by witnessing that what's inside of you isn't evil. Unfortunately you're not due to give birth for another two months, so we'll have to show your baby's true nature while it's still inside of you," Kikyou explained. _

_Akito's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "How will we do that?"_

_Kikyou lifted a bowl filled with clear orange liquid. "I made this while you were resting. It's a remedy that will project your baby's innocent aura, anyone who makes contact with your baby will immediately feel it. No one will be able to deny that what's growing in you truly is just a child." _

"_But you said they would have to make contact with Akito and the baby. If we let any of them in here, they're going to try and hurt the baby," Makoto countered. _

"_Don't worry. We will be guarding you while this happens. Kaede." Kikyou looked over at her younger sister who was sitting in the corner of the hut watching silently. Kaede nodded and picked up her bow and arrows. _

"_Yes, sister Kikyou." _

_Makoto and Akito looked into each other's eyes, a silent conversation passing between them. _

"_Alright," Akito said. "Let's do it." _

_Kikyou looked at Makoto who still seemed unsure. After a moment, Makoto nodded. "Okay." _

"_Okay. Makoto, if you would, please take the remedy and massage it into Akito's belly," Kikyou ordered, handing her the small bowl. " Also, Akito, it would be helpful to wake the baby up, get it moving. I'll go speak with the villagers." _

_Kikyou left the hut, closing the sliding door behind her. Makoto rubbed the oil into the front of her husband's tummy while he poked at the sides. There was still no movement so he gripped his sides and shook his belly. "Come on, baby, wake up for Daddy." _

_A few moments passed until Akito felt the baby start to move. "I don't think he's very fond of being woken up like that," he said as he felt the baby roll and kick in agitation. _

_Makoto giggled, feeling her baby move as she finished up with the oil. She was rinsing her hands in the water when Kikyou stepped back in with the head of the village close behind her. _

"_Eiji," Akito greeted the man._

_Eiji eyed his swollen form with disgust. "Look at you, being eaten from the inside out by a demon." _

"_I assure you, that's no demon. He's carrying a baby," Kikyou said. She took his arm and led him to Akito who remained lying against his wife. He held her hands in his and squeezed them nervously. _

_Kaede sat to the side, her bow at the ready. _

"_Feel the child, there's no denying that it is an innocent human." _

_Eiji reluctantly knelt down in front of Akito. He stared at the bulging roundness, as if waiting for it to attack. Then, finally, he placed his hand just above Akito's stretched navel. _

"_Kami..." Eiji breathed. _

_Makoto and Akito looked at each other in confusion, then back at the head of the village. _

"_Do you feel that? It's the innocence of a child. There's no mistaking it," said Kikyou. _

_Eiji stood up. "Although I still don't understand it, you were right. That is undeniably a child," he turned to the priestess. "However, it is going to be difficult convincing the rest of the village." _

_Kikyou smiled. "Let them in, have them witness this miracle like you did. Are you alright with some more visitors, Akito?" _

_The swollen father-to-be smiled and rubbed the underside of his belly. "Of course." _

_The rest of the village came in, crowding the small hut, each of them taking turns feeling Akito's stomach. The men came in first, not wanting their wives to be subjected to the presence of the demon they still believed in. However, one by one their minds were all changed. Once the men left, the women and children were allowed to enter. They were less reserved than the men and flocked around him. They rubbed his belly excitedly, asking questions and congratulating him and Makoto. _

"_Your skin is so smooth, there's not one stretch mark!"_

"_Oh the baby is awake!" _

"_Makoto, you're so lucky to have a husband that would carry a child for you himself," one of the women said. _

_Akito smiled up at his wife who was beaming herself. "I'd do anything for her." _

_A collective "aww!" filled the room upon Akito's declaration. _

_One of the women had brought in their four year old daughter who gazed at Akito nervously. "Mommy," she said, tugging at her mother's yukata. "Why is that man's belly so big?" _

_The mother smiled down at her daughter. "Remember when mommy had a big belly because she was carrying your baby brother?" _

_The child nodded. "Well, this man is caring a baby of his own." _

_The little girl looked at Akito and then back at her mother. Then, she walked over to him and threw her arms around his belly. "Hi baby!" _

_Everyone in the small room laughed at the little girl's greeting. She pulled back in surprise when she felt a kick. "What was that?" _

_Akito smiled. "That was the baby saying hello." _

_The women stayed for a few more minutes until Kikyou ushered them out, claiming that the expectant father needed his rest. _

"Kikyou and I checked on the couple for the next two months until the child was born. He gave birth to a healthy baby boy," Lady Kaede concluded her story. "Over the years he bore more children, and the other men of the village followed his example. Now, I believe it is a common occurrence in that particular village for the men to carry their unborn children, due to the blessings of their goddess."

Kagome, Sango, and I all gaped at the priestess in disbelief.


End file.
